Vampire Weekend
Modern Vampires of the City
XL Recordings.
Paul Simon as an indie rocker? What if Paul Simon had
adopted indie rock, or even college rock, instead of making Graceland? Those
are the questions raised by the new Vampire Weekend.
Ezra Korning, like Simon, sounds like the English major he
was in college. Like Simon, he’s
added the nuances, musically and lyrically, sly, knowing, ironic, and wise that
Paul Simon is famous for, and all of this comes as the band, has matured. This
is a logical, yet somewhat unexpected progression from Contra, but an
absolutely brilliant one.
Every track has something to like about it, and also to
think about. All of that makes the album’s single “Diane Young” about a woman
of the same name, which also could be a pun on Dying Young, and both are
suggested by the lyrics. The
vocals here are processed, maybe even with auto-tune. The track is a spiky
rocker, and the only track where Ezra’s guitar is really heard. Please Ezra, more guitar. You play so
well! I started out hating this song. It rapidly grew on me, and it sounds like
nothing else on the album. That made me curious about the album, and made me
love the song.
Hopefully, old fans won’t be scared off or let down by this
change of direction, as this is VW’s most indie rock album yet. There is a lot to love here, on one of
the best albums I’ve heard all year, and gives weight to my opinion that
Vampire Weekend are one of the finest bands in the US. If people would stop
loathing them for being preppy Ivy Leaguers, for the band has moved far
beyond, “Diane Young” would be
their first top 40 hit, and their album hailed as a masterpiece.
Andrea Weiss
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